Youth and Violence Forum

On May 21, the UCCP held the Youth and Violence Forum. At the event, youth from various organizations including the Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative, The Norris Square Neighborhood Project and the Temple Youth P.O.W.E.R Internship presented their anti violence initiatives. Jamira Burley, Business Major at Temple University, presented her Peace Core initiative and Hamid Floyd, a Telecommunications Major, also at Temple University, screened his video "What is Violence". Representatives from Motivos magazine, Change X magazine, the Philadelphia Fund for Children and Professors at Temple University also participated at the event.

Dwight Evans Civic Leadership Summit

For the past two years, the UCCP has been collaborating with Pennsylvania State Representative Dwight Evans' Office to support their annual Civic Leadership Summit (DECLS). This year's DECLS included teams from Martin Luther King, Imphotep and Parkway Northwest High Schools. The high school teams, with guidance and support from Temple students acting as collegiate advisors, developed public policy initiatives aimed at solving problems that affect their communities and schools. This year's summit, held May 16th and 17th at International House, showcased solutions to problems like suicide among African American youth and the need for effective recycling programs and improved environmental education.

Hip-Hop and the Community

On May 14, UCCP hosted a film screening and discussion on Hip-Hop and the community, presented by three Philadelphia youth who focused on Hip-Hop as the topic of their high school senior projects. Ted Lacey and Madea Gboyah's documentary "Hip-Hop Effects" explores the effects of the negative messages of the genre through interviews with peers and adults. Tyrone Jones's "Lyrical Controversy" delves into the historical development of Hip-Hop music, addressing cultural and economic factors that influenced the genre's changing messages. Jones, a VOICES participant from Spring 2007 and Lacey and Gboyah, current VOICES P.O.W.E.R. Interns, used UCCP resources, including camera, editing equipment and post-production assistance to make their films. The screening was followed by a lively discussion and debate between youth, parents and community members in attendance.

Temple Youth VOICES First Annual Community Press Conference

On Saturday, May 10th, the UCCP hosted the first annual Temple Youth VOICES Community Press Conference. The event featured a range of dynamic, multi-media presentations summarizing the accomplishments of Temple Youth VOICES participants over the past year. A diverse group of panelists, including a Temple Youth VOICES alumni, a representative from the Philadelphia Freedom Schools, a Philadelphia public school teacher and a member of the UCCP's Leaders Corps provided formal feedback on a wide range of youth driven initiatives presented at the Press Conference. Parents, family members, youth leaders, community organizers and members of the Temple University community who filled the audience were solicited to spread the word about the amazing work Temple Youth VOICES participants are doing to address the issues that impact them, their families and communities.

UCCP Has Strong Presence at Eastern Regional Conference on After-School

Dominic Eason, a member of the Leaders Corps and Barbara Ferman, Executive Director of the UCCP, participated in a workshop on “Diversity in High School After School Programs” for practitioners and decision makers from Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. The Workshop focused on various approaches to effectively engaging youth in out of school time activities while building their leadership capacities and academic competencies. Dominic Eason was also part of the plenary panel on “Youth and Youth Workers” offering his insights into the ingredients of quality after school programming. The annual conference was hosted by The After-School Institute (TASI). Held in Baltimore on May 8-9, the conference attracted close to 500 practitioners, decision makers, funders and youth participants from the Mid Atlantic region.

The American Red Cross - Disaster Preparedness Summer Camp

The UCCP worked for over nine months with the American Red Cross, Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, to develop a new youth leadership initiative. The product of this exciting project based collaboration was a week long summer camp focusing on disaster preparedness for youth ages 12 to 16. The “Save a Life Camp,” named by the Red Cross youth involved in the initiative, was not only planned by a dynamic team of young people, but was also coordinated and ran by them. The “Save a Life Camp” is a great example of how to work with youth and support their development to promote leaders within organizations.

For more information go to: >>http://redcross-philly.org/ProgramServices/YouthServices